MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8510, 13 August 1907, Page 5

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPECIAL MEETING,

The Masterton Borough Council held a special meeting, last evening, to pass various special orders. There were present —The Mayor (Mr J. M. Coradine), Crs J as. Elliott, F. W. Temple, A. Haughey, W. Morris, J. Prentice, J. C. Evvington, and W. Pragnell. An apology for absence was received from Cr J. H. Fauling. The first business was the passing of special orders dealing with the making of new streets and street widening. A special order was passed authorising the Council to make the following new streetsWrigley Street extension to Villa Street; Kuripuni Street extension and Makora Street extension to connect these two streets; a street inline with Colombo Road from'! Kuripuni Street towards Cockburn Street extension to connect with a County road; a street in line with Herbert Street from Colombo Road to Makora Street. Another special order was passed authorising the widening of j the following streets: —Cross Street; Bannister Street, on the south side, to three-quarters of a chain; York street, on the east side, to one chain; Chapel Street, on the west side, from Michael Street, to one chain; Kuripuni Street, on the south side, to one chain; Pine Street, between George and Villa Streets, to about one chain; Bentley Street and Villa Street, to one chain; Drxon Street, on the east side, from Mr L. J. Hooper's property to Bannister Street, to one chain; Michael Street and Makora Street, to one chain. A special order was passed authorising the Council to lease that 'portion of the Waterworks Reserve, known as the "Big Run," and containing 128 acres, for a period not exceeding 21 years. The Council then dealt with a number of new by-laws. A by-law v was passed giving the Council control over all shooting galleries in the borough and the issuing of licenses for such, provided that certain conditions, such as the suitability of the building and the character of the applicant, are deemed favourable by the Council. A discussion took olace on a proposal to amend by-bw 57, providing that where land ihe borough is in future subdivided, no dwelling house shall be erected on an area less than one-quarter of an acre. Cr Temple moved and Cr Ewington seconded that the by-law be passed. The Mayor opposed the by-law on the grounds that there was plenty of room in less than a quarter of an acre to keep a place sanitary, whereas on a quarter of an acre there wa3 an opening for the accumulation of all kinds of filth by reason of waste space around the house. Another reason was that a quarter of an acre was too much for the ordinary working man with land at it present high price. He was opposed to "slums" as much as anybody, but there was no danger of slums in Masterton yet. Another thing, he questioned whether such a by-law would be valid. The Engineer said he understood that the opinion of the AttorneyGeneral was that such a by-law would be valid. Cr Ewington considered that there was any amount of room in Masterton for a quarter of an acre of land to each house. There was plenty of flat land around the town, and there was not the congested state of buildings here as existed in Petone and ether suburban boroughs. Crs Yarr and Haughey opposed the motion, which they considered unnecessary. After further discussion, Cr Ewington moved as an amendment that the minimum area for a dwelling be one-eighth of an acre. Cr Morris seconded the amendment. Cr Temple was then given permission to withdraw his motion, and Cr .Ewington's amendment became the motion. The notion was then put to the meeting and lost, only Crs Temple, Morris and Ewington voting for it. This concluded the business, and the Council adjourned.